Fitment of braces to straighten the teeth of a patient involves a number of steps. In one procedure, the rear molar teeth are spread apart from each other by the use of spacers, such as plastic wedges, plastic O-rings or the like. After a period generally-ranging from a few days to a week, the spacers are removed from the gaps between the molar teeth and molar bands are placed over the molars and cemented into place. The molar bands usually have brackets welded or otherwise fixed thereon and these brackets provide an anchoring point for wires that pass through further brackets cemented to the front teeth. Tensioning the wire over a period of many months causes the teeth to straighten.
The bands fitted to the molar teeth play an important role in this orthodontic procedure because they provide the foundation upon which tension is applied to the wires on the teeth. Molar bands currently used comprise a closed ring of metal that has been shaped and sized to closely fit over each tooth. As the shape and size of the molar teeth can vary greatly from patient to patient and because the size of each molar tooth of any given patient may be different to the other molar teeth of that patient, orthodontists must maintain a large inventory of molar bands in order to be able to treat each patient. This obviously places an undesirable cost burden on the orthodontist.
Furthermore, placement of the molar bands onto the molar teeth can be difficult. The molar bands are cemented onto the teeth and are intended to remain on the teeth for many months and even for years. Therefore, it is critical that each band fit closely to its respective tooth and is properly cemented in place. Poor cementing may cause the band to work loose over time, necessitating replacement. More importantly, if the band does not fit closely to the tooth and an adequate spread of cement between the tooth and the band is not obtained, gaps may exist between the tooth and the band. Such gaps are potentially sites for serious tooth decay and must be avoided. Unfortunately, the method used for placing the band on a tooth, which involves coating the inside of the band with cement and then pushing the band onto the tooth, may leave areas where there is not sufficient cement to fully coat the tooth and the band.